Bernie cuddles a puppy, Warren talks video games, and Buttigieg babysits for Colbert's Late Show

Bernie Sanders cuddles a puppy — (Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Late Show)

At their debate next week, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates "are likely to face some tough questions from the moderators," Stephen Colbert said on Wednesday's Late Show. But Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg were game to answer maybe-less-tough questions from Colbert's staff. Impressively, only about 45 percent of them were softballs.

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"There are 19 Democrats campaigning to be the one to face Trump in the general election," Colbert reminded viewers, and he ribbed a few of them. Frontrunner Joe Biden, for example, tweeted his best wishes to a basketball player who was back in the game already. Sen. Cory Booker's (D-N.J.) campaign staff is reportedly "Zen about the future of the race," despite his polling at 2 percent, he said. "It makes sense that they're Zen — when you're polling that low, you know the sound of one hand clapping." And Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) had a call-and-response fail in Nevada. Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.